Welcome to the Math Circle

Summer session 2018

We are done with enrollments into the 2018 summer session.

We will have a new group for Kindergarten students in the Fall of 2018. Applications will open in late July-August. All applicants will need to take a written assessment in late August-early September. Students need to have basic reading and arithmetic skills in order to succeed with the assessment.

The next opportunity for new students in grades 1 and aboveto join the program is Summer 2019. Please check the web page back in May of 2019.

Please note that only officially enrolled students will be able to participate.

OTHER PROJECTS (information below refers to 2017-2018 school year)

1) We are supporting current Math Circle students who are starting their own Math Circle Satellites in local elementary, middle and high schools. If you are a current Math Circle student interested in starting (or continuing with) your own Math Circle Satellite program, please look out for the information about the info session about satellites that will take place later in October.

2) We continue invitation-only Math Mentorship Program offering individual attention to dedicated current Math Circle students who require extra support. The program is taught by Mya Greene, a Math Circle alumna who currently studies at USC. Students can be recommended for the Mentorship Program by the lead instructor of their group.

3) We continue with the invitation-only Olympiad training taught by Konstantin Miagkov (assisted by Kyle Hess). The program focuses on proof techniques in Olympiad problem solving. At the moment, Olympiad training is just for students who continue with the program.

4) We will have AMC8 and AMC10/12 training led by Brent Woodhouse on dates TBA in MS 6627. We will go over a variety of topics that are often seen on the AMCs. The AMC training is open to all current Math Circle students in appropriate grade levels.

5) Our Book "Breaking Numbers into Parts" by O.Gleizer, O. Radko, was published and is available on Amazon.com. The book is based on the math circle curriculum for the youngest audience (ages 4-7). The BNP class for K-1 students is based on this book.

What is the LA Math Circle?

Los Angeles Math Circle (LAMC) is a top-tier math circle attracting elementary, middle and high school students interested in mathematics and eager to learn. LAMC is a program of the Department of Mathematics at UCLA and over the years was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Mathematical Science Research Institute (MSRI), the Boeing Employees Community Fund, Raytheon, a gift from the Glickman family, and math circle families donations.

Following the traditions of Russian and Eastern European math circles, the program focuses on showcasing the beauty of mathematics and its applications, improving problem solving skills, preparing students for a variety of contests and competitions, creating a social context for mathematically inclined students as well as attracting students to math-related careers.

Types of meetings:

problem-solving sessions (most of the meetings);

expository talks on a variety of pure and applied math topics;

preparation for various competitions, such as American Mathematical Competitions, Math Kangaroo, Bay Area Math Olympiad;

The topics we cover are as varied as advanced plane geometry, elementary number theory, fractals, combinatorics, game theory for the older students, logic, counting techniques, basic combinatorics for the younger ones. The main goal is to learn wonderful mathematics not covered in a typical school curriculum but accessible to the mathematically inclined students. Another goal is to actively engage students in problem solving and to learn effective problem solving strategies. To get an idea of what we are doing, please look at the titles and descriptions of past meetings which are available on our "Circle calendar" for the current year and on our "Archive" page for previous years

Please refer to FAQs if you have questions about the proper placement (choice of group) and other questions related to math circle.

Contact LAMC

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Dr. Olga Radko, director of the Los Angeles Math Circle, at radko@math.ucla.edu after consulting the FAQs.

If you would like to provide anonymous feedback on the circle please use "Contact us" form on the left toolbar. Keep in mind that if you want to receive an answer to your comments you need to provide a return address.

Don Laackman (High School II group lead instructor) — taught math circle for 6 years; graduating with PhD in math from the department this year; will be Los Angeles Site Director and Program Coordinator for Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM), a nonprofit organization that works to help underserved students enter advanced study of mathematics through summer and extracurricular programs.